Acetylene-gas generator



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patentad Nov. 22, |898.

A. F. MACE &. LVB. KEOUGH.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

' (Application led my 4, 189B.)

vNo'. 6|4,664.

(No Model.)

1n: News Pains co. vnovuumo., wAsHwawN. w c.

No. 634,664. Patented Nov. 22, |898.

A. F. MACE & L. R. KEDUGH.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Hay 4, 189B.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Unirse ALBERT F. MAGE, OF STOOKTON, AND LANOELOT R. KEOUGII, OF OAKLAND,

' f CALIFORNIA.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,664, dated November22, 1898. l

Application filed May 4,1898. Serial No. 679,663. (No model.)

To all whom t may cor/accru:

Be it known that we, ALBERT F. MACE, residing at Stockton, county of SanJoaquin,

and LANCELOT R'. KEOUGH, residing at Oak-- land, county of Alameda,State of California, citizens of the United States, have invented anImprovement in Acetylene-Gas-Generator Apparatus; and we hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to an apparatus which is especially designed forthe generation of acetylene gas; and it consists in the novelarrangement of the carbid-containing tray and in the novel method ofremoving the ash or residue from the carbid of calcium while the same isbeing used inside of a gas-tight cylinder or other receptacle and themechanism by which it is operated and means for regulating the supply ofwater to the apparatus, and in details of construction, which will bemore fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus.Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same. Fig.4 is a section through a stuffing-box and Connections.

The object of our invention is to provide an improved means forobtaining acetylene gas from carbid of calcium and to effect asuflicient disturbance or reversal of the carbid of calcium which isheld and used in a gas-tight compartment, so as to quickly andefficiently remove the ash'from the carbid for adjusting the mechanismby which the operation is carried out, so as to free the unused carbidof the ash which accumulates from that which has been used, and inregulating the supply of water by the movement of the gas produced.

Various devices may be employed to carry out this invention.

In the present case we have shown an exterior cylinder A of such size asthe requirements of gas production would make necessary. lVithin thiscylinder is iixed the carbid-containing tray or platform'B. This tray isperforated and made foraminous in any suitable manner, and the carbid ofcalcium is introduced from the upper part of the chamber or cylinder Athrough an opening C, which has a properly-disposed cover and means forsecuring it after the charge is introduced. Vater is introduced abovethe charge of carbid of calcium after it has been placed upon the tray Bthrough perforated or slotted pipe D, which extends along the upper partof the chamber A, thence down the inner side, and thence outwardlythrough the heads of the cylinder and journals to which the pipe isfixed and with which it is turnable, and into suitable stuffing boxes E,where the continuations of the pipes join the opposite ends, as will behereinafterdescribed. v

The journals F of the cylinder lare supported in suitable standards, sothat the cylinder and this portion of the water-pipe within it may beturned from side to side, moving through an arc of a circle, so that thetray or platform B may be tilted iirst to one side and then to theother. Beneath this perforated tray B are closed diaphragms G, situateda short distance from the lower surface of the tray and extending fromthe sides of the cylinder to a point near the center, where an openspace is left between the edges of these trays. Upon the exteriorjournal-shaft, at one end, is fixed a gear or segment H, and this isengaged by a pinion I upon a crankshaft J, by which it may be turned toeither one side or the other, and by this means the cylinder may betilted as far as desired in either direction. The operation of thisportion will then be as follows: The Water being admitted through thespray-pipe D will be delivered upon the top of the body of carbid withinthechamber and the production of gas will commence, the gas beingconveyed away, as will be hereinafter described. As the gas is producedand the surface of carbid is exhausted it is'necessary to in some mannerdispose of the ash or residue which is thus produced in order to exposea new body of the carbid for the action of the water. This is effectedby turning the cylinder so as to tilt the tray B to a sufliciently-sharp incline to cause the mass of carbid to roll and changeposition, so as to lie in the angle formed between the tilted tray B andthe side of the cylinder, and in doing this there will be a IOO `passing in that direction.

certain reversal of the material which will eventually carry theexhausted residue to the bottom, where it will pass out through theperiorations in the tray and will drop into the lower part of thecylinder. The water-pipe D beingso ixed that it moves with the cylinder,the water dripping from the pipe will strike along the center line ofthe carbid held in the space between the side of the cylinder and thetilted tray, and when turned to the opposite side will likewise strikethe center line of the carbid. After the apparatus has remained in thisposition a certain length of time it may be again reversed by turningthe cylinder in the opposite direction, so as to tilt the trayll toincline in the other direction. This movement causes the material uponthe tray to again roll down to the opposite side and another portion ofthe waste material will be discharged through the holes in the tray.This operation is continued until the body of carbid within the chamberhas been entirely used, when the apparatus can be again recharged. Thewaste is removed from time to time through a suitable dischargeopening Qin the lower part of the cylinder, and a cock similarly located servesfor the discharge of any water or air at the beginning of the operation.

ln order to prevent the residue which has already been discharged intothe lower part of the cylinder from clogging the holes in the bottom ofthe tray B, the daphragms G, pre'- viously described, extend from thesidesteward the center of the cylinder, so that when the cylinder istilted to one side any residue which has passed through and fallen uponthe diaphragm G at the upper side will slide downwardly and pass outthrough the central space between the two diaphragms, and each tiltingof the cylinder to one side or the other causes a similar operation. Thediaphragms being tight will prevent the mass of material which hasalready been deposited in the lower part oi' the cylinder from beingthrown up against the bottom of the perforated tray when tilted toeither angle, thus leaving the tray at all times clear for the passageof the waste.

As previously described, the water-pipe D has two branches extendingfrom its ends toward the center within the heads of the cylinder. One ofthese branches is intended for the admission of water to the pipe. Astop is tted in the other end of the pipe D, as shown at d, and thisprevents the water from The branch D', which extends from this toptoward the center, has openings or perforations d2, through which thegas may enter into the part D', passing thence out through the journaland stufling-box E, as shown, into a connectingpipe E', which alsoterminates in the stu Hingbox with its open en d adjacent to the end ofthe pipe D. The stuffing-box is so constructed as to allow that portionof the pipe connected with the cylinder to turn with the cylinder, whilethe portion E', which conveys the gas away, remains stationary, thejoint being kept tight by the stutling-box. The gas passes through thepipe E and thence into a small gasometer K, which is supported in lineabove the upturned end of the pipe E, and this small gasometer serves asa regulater for the water-supply, as will be hereinafter described. Theend ot' the pipe D which projects through the journal at thewater-supply end of the cylinder meets with a similar pipe D2 within thestuffing-box E, so that communication may be made between the twowithout leakage at the joint, while the pipe D being connected with thecylinder is turnable with it.

The stuiling-box may be of any suitable construction. In the presentcase we have shown a hollow cylindrical box E, having a screwgland e,adapted to t into one end and compress the packing f against a washer g,located within the stuffing-box, this compression being sufficient tomake the joint tight. A collar 7L, outside of the washer g, prevents theportion D of the pipe from being drawn bodily out of the stuffing-box.

Both of the stuffing-boxes E are arranged in a similar manner, adescription of one answering for the other.

In order to regulate the supply of water to the apparatus, we have showna cock L in the water-pipe D2, having a lever-arm M extending from itand connecting with rods N, and these rods pass through guides uponaclamp O, which incloses the upwardly-projecting gas-pipe E and which issecured to said pipe. The rods N diverge just above this guide andextend u p on each side of the gasometer-tank, having a bar across 'thetop, which connects directly with the gasometer K. It will thus be seenthat as the gasometer rises and falls it moves the rods N with it, andas these rods are connected with the lever M, as shown, this lever willbe moved up or down as the gasometer fills or empties. This gasometer isof comparatively small size and is intermediate between a gas-prod ucing apparatus and the main gasometer P, into which the gas for use isconveyed by a branch pipe E3, as shown, the object of this smallgasometer being to act quickly by any increase or decrease of the gas,and thus automatically operate the cock by which the water is supplied.

9' represents a pile ot the carbid in the angle of the tray andcylinder.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- l. In an apparatus for producingacetylene gas, a cylindrical chamber with means for introducing carbidof lcalcium in charges, a perforated tray or holder fixed across theiuterior and forming a support for the carbid, a spray-pipe turnablewith the cylinder and through which water is delivered into the upperpart of the horizontally-journaled cylinder so as to discharge upon thebody ol car- IIO bid, and mechanism by which the cylinder is oscillatedupon its journals so as to alternately tilt the containingtray to anangle upon either side whereby the mass of carbid rolls and shifts itsposition so as to be contained in the angle formed between its supportand the inner wall of the cylinder.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, an exterior containinghorizontallyjournaled cylinder, and mechanism by which it may be turneda part of a revolution in either direction, a perforated tray or holderxed within the cylinder and adapted to receive charges 'of carbid ofcalcium, pipes through which water is introduced to act upon the carbidcontained within the cylinder and to convey away the gas when produced,and closed partitions situated below and essentially in parallel planeswith the carbidtray, said partitions having a space central between themfor the discharge of waste which passes through the trays.

3. In an apparatus ot' the character described, a horizontallyjournaledcylinder having an interior perforated tray fixed to form a support forcarbid of calcium, means for introducing the same in charges upon saidtray, mechanism by which the cylinder is alternately tilted so that thetray stands at an angle to one side or the other of a vertical centralplane, closed diaphragms extending beneath the trays from the sides andends of the cylinder and having an open space centrally between them, apipe fixed and passing through one of the journals of the cylinder, bentwithin the cylinder and having a perforated spray portion extendingalong the upper periphery of the cylinder with which itis movable,and astationary connecting-pipe with a loose intermediate joint whereby Wateris supplied thereto, a second pipe correspondingly leading outwardthrough the opposite journal of the cylinder and perforated for theadmission of gas which escapes therethrough to the gasometer, aregulating-valve in the water-pipe having a lever-arm b y which it isturned to open or close and a small risingand-falling gasometerintermediate between the generator and the main gasometer, saidintermediate gasometer being connected directly with the lever-arm ofthe water-oontrolling cock whereby the movements of said gasometer openor close the cock and regulate the supply to the generating-chamber.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, Y ahorizontally-journaled cylinder having an interior tray extending fromone side to the other to divide the cylinder into separate compartments,said tray being'perforated throughout and adapted to support a mass ofcarbid of calcium, means for spraying water upon said carbid and meanswhereby the cylinder is rocked about its journals to cause the carbid toroll and shift its position on the tray from one side of the cylinder tothe other, and thereby separate its ash or residue, which sifts throughthe tray into the chamber beneath.

5; In an apparatus of the character described, a horizontallyjournaledcylinder and a perforated tray xed therein said cylinder having awater-pipe entering one of the journals, which water-pipe is fixed toand moving with the journal, and bent within the cylinder 'so as vtobring the perforated or slotted spray portion along the upperperipheryof cylinder so that when cylinder is turned or tilted to eitherside the water from pipe will strike along the centerline of the carbidheld in the chamber between the side of cylinder and perforated tray.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a horizontally-journaledcylinder, a tray fixed therein, extending from one side to the other andperforated substantially throughout, and forming separate chambers aboveand below, a superposed Water-supply, means for oscillating the cylinderwhereby the carbid, supported on the tray, is caused to roll across thetray and thereby separate its ash or residue, which passes through thetray into the lower chamber, the gas and water pipes and theintermediate rotary joint connections.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

ALBERT F. MACE. LANCELOT R. KEOUGII.

Witnesses:

J. P. SNYDER.

A. L. FOREMAN.

